Wanaque Avenue is a classic mainstreet nestled within New Jersey’s rustic Highlands Region that saw its heyday between the sixties and eighties. A Redevelopment Plan for the downtown was adopted years ago, but a challenging economic environment stymied new investment.  The Borough’s Business Improvement District tapped Topology to develop a strategy, solve design challenges around difficult sites and attract new investment energy.  Data suggested that new development was financially viable, but the Borough received little attention from regional developers.  Topology tried a different approach: to align the public and private sectors, create a pitch book that property owners and brokers could use to attract investment in key downtown properties.

Insight:  To get the results they want, Downtowns need to actively engage the private market rather than waiting for it to come to them.